Trans instructor fired after flunking Oklahoma University student's Bible-based essay on gender

New York Post

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00:00A transgender graduate instructor at the University of Oklahoma has been given the boot

00:04after she gave a failing grade on a conservative student's Bible-based essay on gender stereotypes.

00:1120-year-old Samantha Fulnecki made waves in late November when she was given a big fat zero for

00:17her provocative essay response to an article on gender stereotypes. The college junior presented

00:22a faith-fueled argument against the liberal belief in multiple genders, though she neglected

00:28to firmly cite the Bible. Fulnecki claimed to Fox News she still followed the assignment's

00:33instructions, which included a thoughtful reaction. I was told to give my opinion on gender stereotypes

00:39and gender norms, so that's what I did. I didn't think that was me needing to be brave or have

00:45courage. I thought I was just sharing my opinion like I was asked to do, so that's what I did,

00:51and I talked about the Bible and what God says about gender norms and about how there are two

00:55genders and things like that. And the response I got back was a zero on that paper and the TA saying

01:02that my writing was offensive and that I needed more empathy. The school wrote in a statement that

01:07the psychology course's instructor, Mel Kurth, a transgender grad student, was officially removed

01:13from her position following widespread backlash. Based on an examination of the graduate teaching

01:19assistant's own statements related to this matter, it was determined that the graduate teaching

01:23assistant was arbitrary in the grading of the specific paper. The graduate teaching assistant

01:28will no longer have instructional duties at the university. For the assignment, Kurth, who uses

01:34she, they pronouns, had asked students to pen a 650-word response to an academic article that weighed

01:40whether conformity with gender norms was associated with popularity or bullying among middle school

01:45students. In the essay, the OU Jr. argued she didn't believe in more than two genders because, quote,

01:52that is how God made us. Society pushing the lie that there are multiple genders and everyone should be

01:58whatever they want to be is demonic and severely harms American youth, Fulnecki wrote. I live my life

02:04based on this truth and firmly believe that there would be less gender issues and insecurities in

02:09children if they were raised knowing that they do not belong to themselves, but they belong to the

02:14Lord, she added. I gave my opinion and, um, not just my opinion, but that's like the Bible says that

02:21God created male and female and anything that's not from God or glorifying to God is glorifying to the

02:28enemy. Kurth claimed Fulnecki neglected to address the prompt and relied more on, quote, personal ideology

02:34than empirical evidence, according to a bombshell thread shared by the university's Turning Point

02:40USA chapter. She also said that Fulnecki's assertions were at times offensive. The TA also clarified in her

02:48feedback that she was not deducting points because of the students' beliefs, but rather because she

02:53submitted a reaction paper that didn't, quote, answer the questions for this assignment. To call an entire

02:59group of people demonic is highly offensive, especially a minoritized population, her throat

03:05and feedback. You can say that strict gender norms don't create gender stereotypes, but that isn't true

03:11by definition of what a stereotype is. Please note that acknowledging gender stereotypes does not

03:17immediately denote a negative connotation, a nuance this article discusses, she added. The feedback and

03:23failing grade ignited a viral firestorm after the school's chapter of Turning Point USA blasted out the

03:29news on social media. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt was among those to weigh in, posting on X that the

03:35situation was deeply concerning. Fulnecki also filed a discrimination report with the university, claiming

03:41her religious freedom was violated for the failing grade. As the backlash continued to mount, the school

03:47confirmed it had launched an investigation into the discrimination claims and placed the instructor on

03:52administrative leave. The school later revealed that the assignment, which was supposed to account for

03:57three percent of Fulnecki's final grade, would have no bearing on her academic standing. Fulnecki told

04:03the university student newspaper OU Daily that she never meant any harm with the essay. I didn't mean

04:10anything I said offensively or I didn't mean any harm by it. And I definitely don't agree with people

04:15online saying mean things about that TA. That was never my intention. And I would just say that God loves him

04:22and God, you know, has a purpose for his life.

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